The Power of Employee Empowerment

To free someone from rigorous control… and give that person freedom to take responsibility for his ideas, decisions, and actions, is to release hidden resources that would otherwise remain inaccessible to both the individual and the organization. Jan Carlzon, former CEO of SAS, Scandinavian Airlines System. Empowerment is the most difficult concept, which companies are attempting to implement. The problem is that executives don’t understand what empowerment is and how it works. An executive who is not proficient or well-versed with the application of the right techniques, will find it difficult to implement employee empowerment program; more so, in an organization which is forward looking and aims at competing with other major leaders in the field. With employee empowerment, a very sensitive issue involving intricate techniques, the executive concerned has to move cautiously. The slightest wrong move will have disastrous consequences resulting, possibly, in the collapse of the organization sooner than later. It is here that this book has a vital role to play. It provides the right information on the initiatives the executive should take in implementing the employee empowerment program in its right perspective and to the best advantage of the organization.